Evaluation: The Bayside Blue paint shows very well and has only one crack in the finish on the front bumper where it meets the left fender. Under the hood is very clean and shows no wear, deterioration or oxidation of plastic or metal parts. The underbody is well kept only needing a detail to remove dirt from use. The interior presents very well and has no meaningful use. An exceptionally well kept R34 with noteworthy provenance.
Bottom Line: Simply put, this car was a fish out of water amongst the sea of muscle cars and muscle car enthusiasts a Mecum auction brings. It is a big deal to JDM fans when an R34 GT-R comes up for sale, but many Mecum auctiongoers paid little serious attention. The Paul Walker, SEMA and BF Goodrich ad connection should have been a slam dunk for the seller, instead the car sold off the block for $172,500 under low estimate.
This sale should be taken with a grain of salt. Given the white hot Skyline market, the seller would have been justified in taking the car back home with them. Lessons that can be taken away from this sale is even cars that sell themselves benefit from consigning at the right venue and allowing for proper marketing.
